• Sep. 29 - Chief Stealth International High School 6:30 pm
• Sep. 30 - Ingraham High School 6:30 pm
• Oct. 1 - Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary 6:30 pm
• Oct. 2 - Washington Middle School 6:30 pm

Welcome back!  

The first day went well and TC staff appreciate all your support during the strike.  Teachers across the district have been in awe of all the support from our school communities, neighbors and the city!  We are excited to be back to the work we love.  You have no idea how much your efforts helped!

This year, your school office is doing its best to run more efficiently. There are a couple changes below that we want you to know about: 

We will have early release this Wednesday the 23rd. October 9th is now a regular school day with students present. Stay tuned for further updates about make up days.

Parents, please fill out your first day packets and return them before the end of September. Volunteer paperwork must be processed before volunteers are allowed to volunteer and we cannot process paperwork at the last minute. Last year paper work was still being returned in June, just before some of our children went to camp. Please help us achieve our 100% return goal. (We had 100% return rate the previous 8 years!) The information you turn in is used in emergencies and a variety of other ways daily, late returns keep us guessing all year long.

Field trip paperwork MUST be returned well ahead of time or students will not be allowed to attend field trips, neither teachers nor office staff can process paperwork at the last minute. 

In years past, Thornton Creek used several different permissions for various activities at Thornton Creek, including the yearbook, the directory, class photo use, room lists, art displays, etc. Last year we were informed that our permissions process has to conform with district policy, and we must only use the FERPA form for all permissions. The FERPA form is one simple yes/no for all permissions (everything) non HIPAA related.  It no longer applies to our family directory, parents must sign up for that via the parent group individually on line. 

 

Therefore, for the 2015-school year, Thornton Creek will only use the FERPA form to grant permissions to use student information for the general uses outlined above. This is a required form; parents must indicate yes or no and return the form to school. This is a major change from our past practice. Should you choose to check NO on the FERPA form, we cannot post your child's photo or name in the school yearbook, the directory, school photos, year-end video. We apologize for the abrupt change.

 

Please be sure to return your completed FERPA form, found in your child's first day packet by October 1st. If the form is not returned, SPS considers the lack of response as consent.

As most of you know, we are a school that goes out when it rains. Children of all ages need a change of clothes from time to time so be sure to keep a spare in your child's locker, cubby or back pack. We will not be able to help more than a couple students on any given day with extra clothing so be sure to help keep your child comfortable at school all year long. 

Instructions are on the Seattle Public School Website.  Go to: http://www.seattleschools.org/

Click on: Departments / Advanced Learning / scroll down to /

Information and Applications for Fall / Winter Testing Session 2015-16, click here. Follow the directions from there. 

Welcome Thornton Creek Families!

With just 2 school days under our belt, it has already been quite the year!  

As I embark on this new adventure with all of you, I would like to pause and thank our outgoing Site Council Chair, Tim Fonken. He spent 3 full years at the helm and I am thankful for his dedication to our school.

I would also like to thank our community for the outpouring of support for our teachers during the strike. It is my belief that the positive effects of coming together in support of a common goal far outweigh any inconveniences we experienced.  

I invite you all to harness this energy and let it grow. We have a big year ahead of us with many changes and much growth. It will literally take a village if we are to hold on to the many facets that make Thornton Creek such a special place. Together, we can make it better than ever.  

As I dive into the Site Council Chair role, I suspect it will take me a bit of time to get up to speed. I appreciate your patience during this time and I invite your thoughts and feedback at any time. My first priority is to establish clear and effective lines of communication with our families. To that end our weekly newsletter will continue to provide you with up to date information. We are in the process of revamping our school website so be on the lookout for changes there. And lastly, we've established a new Facebook page to serve as yet another avenue for disseminating information. You can subscribe here. 

I look forward to seeing you at the next Site Council meeting (Oct 13th @ 7pm) or in the halls at school.

Warmly,

Stacy Mercier Earlywine, Site Council Chair